Coconut Oil Market Data, Standards and Trade

Editorial evidence reviewedReviewed 2026-09-10Release 2026-09-19-batch-230

Market value

$5.5B

Producing countries tracked

10

Grading systems

2

Active supply risks

5

Trade corridors

5

Latest reviewed evidence

The supply figures below are USDA Foreign Agricultural Service forecasts published in August 2026 for marketing year 2026/27. Codex CXS 210-1999 supplies coconut-oil identity and analytical context. These dated forecasts and standards are not current lot availability, a current physical offer or a live delivered coconut-oil price.

World coconut-oil production

3.82

million metric tons · marketing year 2026/27 forecast, August 2026

World coconut-oil imports

1.84

million metric tons · marketing year 2026/27 forecast, August 2026

World coconut-oil exports

2.11

million metric tons · marketing year 2026/27 forecast, August 2026

World coconut-oil domestic consumption

3.61

million metric tons · marketing year 2026/27 forecast, August 2026

Coconut, palm-kernel, MCT and aqueous coconut products are separate

Codex defines coconut oil as oil derived from the kernel of Cocos nucifera. That does not make it interchangeable with palm-kernel oil, which comes from oil-palm kernels, or with coconut milk and coconut cream, which are aqueous products under a separate standard. Fractionated or hydrogenated products and medium-chain triglyceride preparations also have different composition and processing histories. Atlas retains the exact product and governing standard before comparing supply, quality, price or trade evidence.

Crude, refined and virgin process evidence travels with the lot

CXS 210-1999 supplies the coconut-oil identity and analytical framework, including fatty-acid composition and physical and chemical characteristics. Its generic virgin-oil definition depends on mechanical procedures and permitted purification without altering the nature of the oil. In 2026, the Codex fats-and-oils committee declined to begin a separate virgin-coconut-oil revision because proposed differentiation still had gaps. A commercial label alone therefore does not prove process or authenticity. Comparable records retain extraction method, refining, bleaching and deodorization history, fatty-acid profile and identity tests, free fatty acid or acid value, moisture and volatile matter, insoluble impurities, peroxide value, color and odor, named test methods, certificates, plant and lot.

Bulk tanks, previous cargoes and temperature controls are part of delivery

Codex CXC 36-1987 covers storage and transport of crude and processed edible fats and oils in bulk because oxidation, contamination, hydrolysis and excessive heating can downgrade a cargo. A physical record should preserve vessel or tank and lining suitability, prior-cargo acceptability, cleaning and inspection evidence, loading and discharge temperatures, seals, sampling, quantity, port, Incoterm and custody documents. Package-grade drums, flexitanks and retail formats require their own pack and food-contact evidence.

World balances do not determine a delivered coconut-oil price

USDA FAS's August 2026 balance forecasts 3.82 million metric tons of world coconut-oil production, 1.84 million of imports, 2.11 million of exports and 3.61 million of domestic consumption for marketing year 2026/27. Those dated aggregates combine origins, crude and refined states, specifications, uses, packages and delivery terms. A delivered price still requires a defined lot, permitted current physical evidence, quantity, currency, Incoterm, destination, delivery window and information vintage.

Questions procurement teams ask

Are coconut oil and palm-kernel oil interchangeable?

No. Codex defines them from different botanical sources, and their identity profiles and commercial specifications remain separate even though both are lauric oils.

Does a virgin coconut oil label prove the process and authenticity?

No. The offer needs process evidence and applicable analytical results. Codex provides a generic virgin-oil definition, while its 2026 committee did not adopt a separate virgin-coconut-oil revision because differentiation questions remained.

What does the 3.82 million metric ton figure represent?

It is USDA FAS's August 2026 forecast of world coconut-oil production for marketing year 2026/27. It is a dated aggregate, not a current lot offer or delivered price.

Which fields make physical coconut-oil offers comparable?

Exact product identity, governing standard, crude, refined or virgin state, extraction and refining history, fatty-acid and identity tests, free-fatty-acid or acid-value basis, moisture and impurities, peroxide and color limits, intended use, plant and lot, package or tank and prior-cargo evidence, origin, quantity, currency, Incoterm, destination, delivery window and evidence date.